CALinnovates Urges FCC to Reject Set-Top Box Proposal

Friday, Jan 29, 2016

CALinnovates today urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject the set-top box or "AllVid" proposal, which would force video service providers to disassemble their offerings and allow device manufacturers to pick and choose among those offerings without extending existing protections for consumers.

"This proposal is wrong for consumers, wrong for creators and wrong for the innovation economy," said Mike Montgomery, Executive Director of CALinnovates, "Consumers want to access video apps through a variety of devices like smart TVs, tablets and smartphones. The AllVid approach would be a huge step backwards, because it would restrict consumer choice and discourage innovation."

According to Apple's Tim Cook, app-based TV is "the future of television." The AllVid proposal would threaten that future by depriving consumers of the ability to access popular apps. The proposal would also harm content creators and programmers by radically changing the reliable licensing environment that currently exists.

Additionally, the proposal raises important public safety and privacy concerns, as it would fail to extend existing congressionally mandated customer protections such as emergency alerts.

The app-based approach promotes competition and innovation among content providers and device manufacturers alike. AllVid is a backwards-looking and costly alternative that would force the industry to develop soon-to-be-obsolete technology's at the consumer's expense.

CALinnovates calls on the FCC to reject this harmful proposal.

ABOUT CALINNOVATES

CALinnovates serves as a bridge between the thriving and fast paced technology communities based in California and the slower moving but equally important public policy communities in Sacramento and Washington, DC.

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